can someone tell me the main differences between the Evangelical Religion and the Catholic Religion?

Answer 1

Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and other Christians.

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

There are some minor doctrine issues and some major cultural traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.

A Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

One difference is that the Roman Catholic faith goes directly all the way back to Peter, one of the apostles. The Greek Orthodox, Coptic, Chaldean and a couple of other denominations also go back to the original apostles, who spread out. The Evangelicals are a group that is fairly recent relative to this time line.
As another answerer said, the evangelicals and the Catholics both believe in the Bible, but Evangelicals are 'Sola Scriptura', which means only the Bible, while the Catholics do have the benefit of traditions handed down the generations from the original apostles.

Some of the major issues of controversy between the Evangelicals are:

1. the veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus - Catholics do and Evangelicals don't (some say that Catholics worship Mary, but that is not true)

2. belief that some people are in heaven now and see us and hear us, and can pray to God for us the same way we pray for each other.. Catholics do, and Evangelicals don't (some say that Catholics consider the saints as equal intermediaries to Jesus, but that is not true) , and they believe that the dead are sleeping until Jesus comes

3. Catholics have some mystical understandings of scripture, and traditional interpretations, while Evangelicals are more likely to have independent interpretations by each reader of the Bible.

4. Catholics have a hierarchy, or levels of authority, in the Church, with the Pope as head,, while evangelicals have their own pastors as their authority, and some have a larger organization with heads also, but who make ongoing decisions for the church that are not so dependent on a Pope following traditon, or a 'magesterium' which is a group of very educated people who take traditions and apply them to modern circumstances.

There are other denominations that are groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church,, Pentecostals, Episcopalians, Methodists, Congregationalists, Lutherans,,, and they have other differences with both the Evangelicals and the Catholics,, but that is outside of your question. Pope John Paul II had much dialog with the Lutherans on this question and the two denominations came to an understanding of this question that resolves it after a few hundred years.

5. The 'faith or works' issue is not as clear cut as some would have it. Catholics do not believe that works will give merit of heaven, and do believe that it is Jesus alone that saves,, but Catholics do not believe that mere faith without works that come from that faith is enough either. Evangelicals believe that faith alone is enough, and so they can sin all they want and still go to heaven if they have faith. The arguement is,, if we really believe on Jesus our lives are going to reflect that faith in what we do. If I believe that Jesus said, in Matthew 25 that we should feed the hungry and clothe the naked,, then we are going to put that faith in action and do it. James said that if we see some poor person who asks us for help, and we do not help but only wish them well, then we are not acting on our faith, so that faith without works is dead. If I say I believe in Jesus, but I don't act like it, then my professed faith is only empty words and my life shows that faith not to be real.

Answer 3

The Pope makes up the catholic religion as he goes.... they worship alot more saints and believe in things like Exorcisms

The TV preachers and American politicians make up the evangelical religion as they go along... they protest everyone who doesn't think like they do... (They are the ones who will be giving me all the THUMBS DOWN on this answer)

Other than that the Bible is pretty much the same...

Answer 4

Okay, the main difference, and most important, is the belief in "sola fide" or "faith alone." It has to do with salvation doctrine. Evangelicals believe in faith alone, that is, it is our faith in Christ that saves us, Catholics believe it is faith plus works.

A better way to explain this is to use the terms "imputed and infused." Evangelicals believe that we have "imputed righteousness" that is to say that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us so that on judgment day we will be found not guilty. Catholics believe in "infused righteousness" that is to say that the it is the righteousness of Christ infused with, or along side of our own righteousness so that we can be found not guilty on judgment day.

Now the Bible teaches that it is Imputed righteousness, or faith alone, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9. Now, those verses say that it is faith and not works. It shows that the catholic view is totally wrong. Not to mention, if we say that works are required for salvation, then we are saying that what Jesus did on the cross, His suffering and dying for us, was not good enough. And that demeans the sacrifice that God made for us so that we might be saved.

It is this very reason that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses, and the start of the protestant movement.

Answer 5

evangelical: (think Billy Graham)
So, for many years, "evangelical" simply meant "Protestant," said historian Mark Noll, founder of the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College.

Later, the word was applied to several religious movements and Christian denominations that were the products of a number of religious revivals in Europe and North America during the 18th century, a time when Methodists and Baptists grew in prominence.


Catholic - never seperated from itself - there are too many differences in doctrine and tradition. (Think vatican Council)

however - they are both bible based. the evan. are just more modern and the Rcc are more "old school"

Answer 6

only this: evangelicals follow only the bible and catholics follow the bible, plus a million other traditions and stuff they've picked up here and there over the last 2000 years.

But they're both nonsense as all religions are. be warned.

Answer 7

I believe that the main difference is the Pope in Vatican City. The Roman Catholics believe that the Pope in infallible.

Answer 8

Kind of like the difference between 'Ave Maria' and 'Twist And Shout' . Pipe organs and dueling banjos.

Answer 9

What royboy said, as well as the fact that some catholics place Mary on equal ground as God/Christ, as well as saints. How is a dead human gonna mediate between you and God, just because a pope or council says so?

Answer 10

Evangelical Christians believe that grace is attained through faith in Christ alone.
Catholics believe that priests are necessary mediators between Christ and Man.